I used this exact recipe, but I refrigerated the dough for over half an hour. When the first sheet flattened, I put the next sheet in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes. They can out only slightly less flat than the first. I also used margarine, maybe this is the problem?

I used this exact recipe, but I refrigerated the dough for over half an hour. When the first sheet flattened, I put the next sheet in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes. They can out only slightly less flat than the first. I also used margarine, maybe this is the problem?

It's difficult to predict how margarines will react as there are so many different compositions for the stuff. I would stick with butter and refrigerate the dough for a longer period before starting then follow the steps in my earlier post ( 5 posts up from here).

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

I use this exact recipe all the time - I reduce the butter to 1/2 cup (1 stick), and the cookies come out perfectly - crispy on the edges, chewy in the centers, and not too flat. In general, too much butter causes more spread, so, reducing it will reduce the spread.
In addition, you can chill the dough to reduce the spread even more.

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"Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces."

OK, I just saw this post, and living at high altitude, I just have to ask; Your profile does not say where you live. If you live at high altitude, that could be the simple reason the cookies end up flat as crepes and hard and crispy. If this is the case there are ways to prevent your cookies from going flat. There are simple modifications to the recipes. So...

Where are you from? Are you at high altitude? I am at about 7000 feet above sea level, and make adjustments to my recipes.

Just a thought...

__________________No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best!

Over time, I think I have perfected my CCCs. When I mix the wet ingredients, I leave the butter cold from the fridge .. and do not let it warm to room temperature. I also have learned from DC, to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to help give the baking soda more oomph to have them raise more.

When I prep the dry ingredients I mix them very well, so the salt & baking soda are evenly mixed everywhere.

When everything is all done and mixed, I leave the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Try chilling your dough before rolling, don't let the rolled and cut dough set at room temp before getting it in the oven. Cold dough won't spread as much because the outside starts cooking before the fat in the center has a chance to soften and spread.

Check the dates on your baking powder or baking soda, which ever the recipe calls for. If they are getting close to their expiration date, pitch and get some new.

Get an oven thermometer. Your oven temp could be off a bit and not baking at the correct temp to set the outside of the cookies as fast as they should.

And sometimes, it helps just to let the dough set before you start rolling cookies or shaping the dough. This gives the flour more time to absorb the liquid in the recipe.

Always measure carefully. Baking is more about chemistry and formulas than cooking is. If you don't have to correct ratios and amounts, you won't get as good a result.

And finally, try increasing the amount of flour the recipe calls for. It will make a stiffer dough that won't fall as easily.

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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." - James Beard

Over time, I think I have perfected my CCCs. When I mix the wet ingredients, I leave the butter cold from the fridge .. and do not let it warm to room temperature. I also have learned from DC, to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to help give the baking soda more oomph to have them raise more.

When I prep the dry ingredients I mix them very well, so the salt & baking soda are evenly mixed everywhere.

When everything is all done and mixed, I leave the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

When the flour is exposed to liquids and stirred around, the gluten (protein) in the flour starts to develop into a network that will hold whatever you’re baking together, giving cookies, cakes, etc. their structure. Gluten can also make baked goods tough if there is too much of it in the dough/batter, and excessive mixing of the dough can develop the gluten to this point.

So when a recipe instructs you not to overmix, what it means is that you should just do the minimum amount of mixing necessary to make a uniform dough. A good rule of thumb is to stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain in your mixing bowl, or if you’re going to be adding chocolate chips or fruit into your mix, you can stop when a few small streaks of flour remain, since you’re going to give the mixture a few extra turns when you stir in your add-ins.